Apple cider vinegar is widely associated with a plethora of health benefits, but coconut vinegar is on the rise as an alternative to apple cider vinegar. A product staple to the tropical countries of Asia for years, coconut vinegar is the new entrant in the US pantry. Coconut vinegar is sourced from the sap of […]
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Chandler Grey is just like any other kid in many ways; he loves Scooby-Doo, playing with Legos and learning about dinosaurs. But, unlike most 8-year-olds, Chandler has a high-grade neuroepithelial tumor of the central nervous system with a BCOR mutation – in other words, a highly malignant and extremely rare brain cancer.
A year prior to his diagnosis, Chandler began showing symptoms including nose bleeds, loss of balance, headaches, lack of appetite and a decline in energy. At first, his doctors saw no overarching illness, until one day, Chandler could not make even the smallest movements without intense pain. He had a fall a few weeks earlier and doctors thought there was a chance he was suffering from a severe concussion. Instead, a CT scan and MRI revealed the brain tumor.
This devastating diagnosis left Chandler’s parents confused, numb and full of questions. Why would this happen to our child? Is it our fault? Should we have demanded more testing earlier on? And most importantly, what do we do now?
Chandler went to Boston, where he had major brain surgery and spent a week in the ICU. The following months were spent with trips back and forth from Maine to Boston to receive proton radiation and intensive chemotherapy treatments. Adjusting to this rigorous schedule of treatment was difficult for the entire family. Chandler’s siblings had needs of their own and had trouble understanding the shift in attention. Chandler’s cancer diagnosis left the family feeling separated and isolated. Despite the confusion, hospital visits, hardships faced, and challenges, Chandler’s parents are determined to stay positive and never give up hope.
“My guy possesses more strength than anyone could ever imagine and backs it up with a positive attitude, a huge smile and a kind heart,” said Chandler’s mom, Kristin Grey. “He has an incredible love for life and everything good it has to offer. His determination to survive is endless.”
Now a year since his original diagnosis, Chandler continues fighting and is still in treatment. Kristin notes that her son is only the eighth person to be diagnosed with this form of cancer, making the treatment process relatively exploratory.
His family hopes for the continued support and research to find a cure for children’s cancer, and Kristin shares the following advice for other families: “Let others help. Allow yourself to cry. Always find a positive, and… don’t take tomorrow for granted.”
CureSearch research programs are focused on accelerating the development of new treatments for kids like Chandler. To learn more, visit curesearch.org/Our-Research-Strategy
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Taro plant is believed to be one of the first crops to be cultivated by humans and goes by many names, including Chinese potato, cocoyam, dasheen, dalo, and curcas. It is a large herbaceous perennial plant with a corm-like structure underground and heart-shaped leaves that appear like an elephant’s ear growing out of long, stout […]
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Cassiopea is an Italian company set up in 2013 with the stated aim of bringing new treatments to market. Today, they have four “unencumbered clinical candidates” for the topical treatment of acne, androgenetic alopecia (AGA) and genital warts. Their intention was and remains to identify, develop and commercialise these treatments.
Their most advanced treatment, in terms of clinical trials, is Clascoterone which has achieved the important milestone of reaching clinical endpoints in its two Phase III clinical trials. FDA approval for this important and much-needed acne drug will be applied for later this year.
Closer to our hearts is their treatment for AGA. They have been developing a topical treatment which works by blocking androgen hormones. In their Phase II trial, they studied 400 men who were applying either the treatment or a placebo for a year.
After 12 months of treatment, all skin treatment doses outperformed the placebo. As importantly, there were no more adverse events with the treatment than with the placebo. Researchers were able to confirm that the treatment did not affect hormones in the bloodstream.. which might have triggered unwanted side-effects.
On the back of those excellent Phase II results, Cassiopea has already slated Phase III trials towards the end of this year. In the words of their CEO, Diana Harbort, “The global hair loss market is very large and very underserved with only over-the-counter products and generic therapies available. This product, if approved, could serve a global audience.”
We will reserve judgement on its efficacy until we see results from those Phase III trials. But even to have the prospect of a new hair loss treatment going into this advanced trial stage is exciting. Their success with a similar topical treatment, albeit for acne, is encouraging and we wish them every success.
Cassiopea is by no means the only biotech out there with designs on the hair loss market. Their CEO Harbort’s description of a market that is large and underserved is spot on. Given that paucity of hair growth solutions that actually work, Another European company, Follicum, are working on their own version. They are targetting the fragments of protein involved in tissue repair, so a very different approach.
If you would like to discuss your hair loss situation with one of our team of friendly experts, simply complete our contact form on this page or click here to find your nearest clinic.
A survey conducted by the China Association of Health Promotion and Education (CAHPE) put the number of hair loss sufferers at 250 million. They put the number of men in that group at 160 million. It is a staggering figure, but one that is equivalent to 23% of the male population and so to be expected. There is another statistic however that might point to something more unusual.
Alibaba Health Information Technology Company is a Hong Kong-based investment firm deeply invested in China’s health industry. They published a white paper last year which showed that the post-1990’s generation accounts for 36.1% of hair loss sufferers. The same paper gave the figure for the post-1980’s generation as 38.5%. This suggests a problem that is getting worse among the younger generation.
That is backed up by Yang Shuxia, a dermatologist at the Peking University First Hospital who said, “When we make the clinical rounds, we see more young patients with thinning hair, so it does exist.”
That hair loss is becoming an issue for younger people in China was further supported by a 2017 survey. The 4,000 students at Tsinghua University were polled. A jaw-dropping 60% reported thinning hair with 40% claiming to have noticed receding hairlines.
As you might expect, each of these surveys and reports makes suggestions on what is causing this rise in young hair loss. Prime suspects were given as stress, insomnia, and irregular living patterns. These are widely recognised as triggers for failing hair health around the world, along with pollution and poor diet. While the principal determining factor remains genetic, you get your hair genes from both parents, and this will largely dictate the point at which you will start to lose your hair, environmental and social factors can and do have a bearing.
As you might expect, the hair loss treatment market in China is growing at an exceptional pace. JD.com report that sales of shampoos promoted as hair-growing were up 136% year on year. More interestingly, and significant, is that Taobao, Chinese E-Commerce giant, reported that in 2017 a number of hair loss products were in its top 40 bestselling lines. They included vibrating hair brushes, herbal remedies, adhesive hair pieces, and minoxidil, the FDA approved hair loss drug. Even more remarkably, over 40% of those sales went to consumers under 30 years old.
China has seen spectacular growth over the last few decades. This has seen tens of millions change their lifestyle in radical ways. No doubt this will have played into the issues of stress and might be a key factor in these statistics. The numbers certainly suggest there is something of an epidemic occurring and it will be interesting to watch the results of future surveys to see how it develops from here.
Hair loss sufferers everywhere might be encouraged that China, with its breathtaking scale of resources, could lead future research into a cure.
If you would like to discuss your hair loss situation with one of our team of friendly experts, simply complete our contact form on this page or click here to find your nearest clinic.
As a society, men and women alike have been obsessed with getting a suntan. Struck with this obsession, people are getting exorbitant spa treatments, hitting beaches, and visiting tanning salons – all in the pursuit of increasing their skin’s melanin. The buzz about the magic of melanin is all around social media and the Internet […]
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Written by Crystal McBride, Karma’s Mom
Karma was born a sassy, fierce and bright child. Independent and inquisitive, she was determined to get the ultimate “why” of everything. She grew to love math, science and exploring the stars and universe. She was wise beyond her years and would challenge not only her friends and family, but herself to be a better person.
When she was ten years old, Karma was diagnosed with an aggressive form of bone cancer, Dx Osteosarcoma of the left distal femur. As her mom, it wasn’t easy to learn the type of cancer she had and what she was up against. Karma got angry at first, wanting to know why I couldn’t just kiss it away.
A turning point for our family was Thanksgiving Day, a few weeks after her diagnosis, when she asked, “Mom, am I going to die?” My first thought was to scream NO, but I knew that I needed to be completely honest so she could trust that I wouldn’t hold anything back from her. Even though we might hear things that we didn’t want to hear, together, we would hold each other up.
Finding out about Karma’s cancer was a fast track to an unpredictable world with no rules or traffic signs. When she was diagnosed, I was nine-months pregnant and due at the end of the month. On October 14, 2016 Karma was diagnosed. Just three days later, on October 17, Karma had surgery for a biopsy and port placement. That very same day I gave birth to my youngest daughter, Hope. Having a brand new baby and another baby with cancer was overwhelming.
Karma endured 30 rounds of chemotherapy and we hoped that her cancer was gone. That was not to be. A few months later, a stomach tumor appeared and we were told the devastating news that she had only weeks to live. Karma’s life-affirming response was to plan a celebration of life ceremony and to create a bucket list of the things she hoped to experience—to have a prom and a ride in a Lamborghini.
Our local community in Utah rose up, embracing us with love and support. Words cannot express how grateful we were (and still are) for them. They held Cruise for Karma fundraisers to raise money for children fighting cancer. They made her bucket list dreams come true—having her very own prom with a DJ and dancing, and a joyful celebration of life event that Karma planned with fast cars and a bounce house. Looking back, I appreciate just how important the support of others is. When your child has cancer, it affects the whole family. We suffer along with the child we love as we watch the disease and the treatments take a devastating toll.
Even though I lost Karma to cancer, I would say that the cancer journey has given me a new life, new outlook and a new purpose. I knew that we could either let this define us or we could define it. This was a battle we weren’t going to lose. For the first time in my life, I saw what life was supposed to be—the kindness, caring and compassion that Karma showed us. She cried for the other children on the cancer floor and expressed that she would die over and over again if she could take the cancer from them so they didn’t have to go through it. She often said, “I know the pain that they are in and it’s not fair.”
CureSearch’s mission is critical, not only for raising awareness and funding research for children’s cancer, but also to provide resources that offer one of the few lifelines for parents when their child has cancer. When you are able to connect with other families, who have gone through this, you know that you and your child are not alone. These resources light your way during your darkest time and give you strength.
This young child was able to unite a whole community to raise money for children with cancer and those who are homeless. Her life and legacy have lifted us all up. She asked us to be more kind and loving, and have a charitable heart. We have become better people as we honor her wishes and her memory.
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Learn more about CureSearch educational and support resources at curesearch.org/Cancer-Resources
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Most of us associate copper with its practical usage in plumbing, electronics, and jewelry. However, it’s important to understand its nutritional worth as well. We receive copper mostly from the food that we consume. Copper is a trace mineral, which means it is needed in a very small quantity. Its primary role is to help […]
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While there are a range of triggers, illness, and stress among them, that can lead to a temporary loss of hair, for most the condition is permanent. That is because the massive majority of hair loss sufferers have their genetics to thank. Genes inherited from both parents contribute to our hair, a study last year identified in excess of 200 individual genes that all play a role. For a significant minority, it will mean they begin to lose hair at a young age… and for some, that can be as early as their teenage years. By the time we reach our forties the majority of us will have experienced some hair loss.
The challenge for those who choose to take up the fight is to identify an appropriate solution that works for them. Some will opt for the daily routine that comes with either of the two FDA approved hair loss treatments, one topical and one in pill form. Some will go for the expense and restrictions of a hair system. A few lucky ones will discover Scalp Micropigmentation, the low cost, low maintenance, cost effective solution to pattern baldness. Still more will scour the internet looking for hair loss solutions that work, sadly finding hokum snake oil treatments that hold the promise, as they always have done, of a complete return to a full head of hair.
Pennsylvania State University has given bald men everywhere some reassuring news following research into how people really think about bald men. The research involved three studies, the first saw 59 men and women asked to rate photographs of men, some who were bald and some not, on perceived confidence, attractiveness, and dominance. The second study saw 367 men and women rate photographs where the hair had been digitally removed. The final study was non-visual, it involved 552 men and women who read descriptions of men… career, height, weight, age, and whether or not they had hair.
The results of the first two studies might surprise you. Men with shaved heads were perceived to be more dominant than their hairy counterparts. The second study showed them to be perceived as taller and stronger too. Even when basing their perceptions on the written descriptions in the third study they arrived at the same results.
There have been other supportive studies which seem to point in the same direction, with a perception of sexiness, a deeper voice, and even kindness attributed to bald men.
Evolution has seen baldness establish itself as a common feature. It makes no sense that it would be a hurdle to passing the genes on. The authors of the Penn State study have suggested that the perception of men who shave their heads is that they are confident. So these studies point to the reasons for the success of the bald genes. There is a fundamental attraction towards dominant men, and it seems little says dominant better than an exposed scalp.
Our thanks to Penn State for their positive approach to hair loss. Here at HIS Hair we have known for years that a shaved head can deliver a degree of confidence that most bald men had thought gone forever. While most of our clients would no doubt prefer never to have lost their hair in the first place, the SMP alternative runs it close… and thanks to the hard work of the Penn State team we now know exactly why.
If you would like to discuss your hair loss situation with one of our team of friendly experts, simply complete our contact form on this page or click here to find your nearest clinic.
ISHRS was established in 1993, early in the story of hair transplants. Its aim was to have their society focus on transplantation and drive higher standards into the emerging industry. Up until then, it had been considered part of dermatology and plastic surgery… though evolution in techniques and equipment had made it difficult for those choosing to specialise in transplantation to find and communicate with each other. Today they continue to use ongoing education of their members, over 1100 of them in 70 countries, to drive best practice and advance knowledge. Beyond that they have given themselves the job of advocacy on behalf of consumers everywhere, to provide advice and, in particular, to warn against dangers.
So it was on this basis that earlier this month they released a stern warning on the availability of cheap transplants to those willing to travel.
The ISHRS, in a campaign called “Black Market Awareness,” has set out to inform UK customers of the dangers of health tourism, have published a series of photographs of men who travelled abroad to get cheap hair transplants. A spokesman for the ISHRS said, “The rogue clinics and hospitals that facilitate illegal or unethical practices have created an expanding black market hair transplant underworld of sorts.” He was referring to clinics, many of them in Turkey, that can charge as little as 10% of the cost of the equivalent surgery in the UK. Of course, in the UK there would be some certainty that the clinic is registered with the National Health Service and overseen by the official watchdog, the Care Quality Commission.
The ISHRS report a significant rise in the number of men returning to the UK requiring medical assistance, or even surgery when returning with the results of botched transplant attempts. At the same time, we have seen growth in popularity for the surgery with several high profile clients from the sporting world and television screens. In the last year, the trend has extended to men in the spotlight just for being themselves, characters from reality television with a hint of hair loss are throwing themselves under the surgeon’s knife at an amazing rate. Typically, these are customers for high-end surgeries with big-ticket prices. Wayne Rooney is rumoured to have spent around £30K on his own series of operations. That sort of cost is out of reach for most, but even the average cost of over £7k is beyond the pockets of many. Treatments in Turkey can cost under £700, so even with the cost of travel to add there is a huge temptation.
The ISHRS counsel against travel abroad for your surgery, but they would wouldn’t they? Their statement and the shocking set of images should certainly give pause for thought. And then provoke a steely determination not to be drawn in by a slick website and fancy patter. Do a thorough investigation of the surgery you will attend, be certain your procedure will be carried out by a fully qualified person and that that aftercare is appropriate. There is a lot to consider and a great deal is at stake on getting it right.
If you would like to read more about the ISHRS Black Market Awareness campaign click here to see patient stories and more.
If you would like to discuss your hair loss situation with one of our team of friendly experts, simply complete our contact form on this page or click here to find your nearest clinic.
The best way for a new mother to establish a nurturing bond with her baby is through breastfeeding. But sooner or later, you will have to switch to other alternatives for feeding your baby. Nursing becomes quite inconvenient when you are running low on breast milk, are in the throes of illness, or are nearing […]
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